His Cat Returns
by ShadowCatRose
Summary: A century has passed since Sebastian lost her. Now, the cat maid is back, but so is a few unfriendly faces, along with a very unhappy Demon butler, out to destroy the one thing he holds dear to his black heart. How is the Phantomhive household going to keep it together? Sebby x OC, This is the sequel to "His Cat". I don't own any Kuroshitsuji characters.
1. His Cat, Returns

Chapter 1: His Cat, Returns

"Damn, Tokyo's a nightmare to live in these days…" You'd think singing at Demon-exclusive venues would actually get me somewhere with this month's rent. Did I really do something so bad in my past life that I deserved this kind of torture? I was made for more than this! Seriously. Stealing souls from criminals off the street is easier than dealing with this crap! Well, at least the drama isn't too bad around here. It could be worse.

Hurray for 2012, where everybody's an ass because they think the world is going to end. Typical humans. The only way in that they've evolved is their colorful vocabulary. I've kind of picked it up out of habit. I spend too much time around them. At least not all of them are bad. You just tend to get the rotten apples of the bunch when you go to the big cities. Why I came to Tokyo, I have no idea. It is the hometown of my father, but I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. Being in Japan just felt right, even though I'm constantly being swarmed with the souls of humans not even worth looking at.

I'd just gotten back from paying my landlord and was staring at myself in the mirror hanging on the wall of my bedroom to check how I look before I left for work. As usual, my appearance was still picture perfect. Bright red eyes were surrounded in eyeliner, mascara, and a pale smoky-eye look, perfect for tonight's show. A low ponytail to the side, done up nicely with a black ribbon, held my long black hair, courtesy of my Spanish mother, on my right shoulder. I just liked this style for some reason. Not completely sure why.

My favorite costume was still looking quite spiffy. Long black pants, fastened to my legs with buckles, matched nicely with the black skirt over it, which was also covered in buckles, as well as a few crooked belts around the hips. The top was plain black, had no shoulders, and the back was torn up horizontally, partially revealing the broken angel tattoo on my back. The cool graffiti red guitar on the front made the ensemble look quite badass. Top it all off with my favorite choker, leather boots, and some biker gloves, you got yourself one cool chick. Though, I don't mind dressing up like a lady once in a while. It's just not appropriate when I have to maintain my rocker image.

Right, time to get to work. Don't want to be late and ruin my perfect record of punctuality. Walking to work isn't always fun, but I could use the exercise, plus I don't have the cash to get myself a vehicle. Who needs one anyway when you're a Demon? Traveling is a simple task for amazing creatures such as us.

…..

Everybody knows that Tokyo is practically impossible to maneuver through on the sidewalks. You get bumped into all the time. All of these filthy souls are just plain annoying. I sighed as yet another clumsy oaf nearly stepped on my foot. If I hadn't moved quickly enough, he probably would have scuffed my boot, and that would not have been acceptable for work at all. Perfection is a vital aspect of my life. I won't accept any less than perfect performance from myself. It's just how I am.

Speaking of perfection, there's a Demon walking down the sidewalk near me. I can smell him. Out of curiosity, I glanced up to see the fellow member of my species, but it was kind of hard to see him. He was really short…wait, he's not just short, he's a kid! Wow, he's younger than me. He's either a natural-born Demon that's very young, or he was created by another Demon at that age. I thought they hardly made them anywhere near my age, but here's this one, about, I dunno, twelve, thirteen years old? Wearing a blue business suit, to boot. Weird, he's got an eye patch too? That's unusual for a child in the first place. To top it off, why would a Demon need an eye patch anyway? We regenerate at alarming rates. He can't be missing that eye.

He seems kind of…familiar somehow. I mean, the blue-ish grey hair was very familiar, and that eye patch was definitely ringing some bells. There's something about him…I dunno, maybe it's…

_"Bloody bastards!"_

_"Do you know why I have hit men scurrying about like vermin in my back yard?"_

_ "That will not stop me from getting to the bottom of this case. If there is a Demon involved, he must be stopped."_

Flashes of his face were zooming past my eyes, and then as quickly as they vanished, they were gone. This image…he was definitely not a Demon in the past. The difference in eye color clearly stated that he was human in my memories. But, beside the point, I know that boy, and he just jogged something in my brain.

Was he a past contract? No, that wouldn't be possible; I'd have his soul, then. He wouldn't be still alive, and a Demon, at that. If I didn't finish his contract, maybe it would be slightly possible.

Whatever the case, I had to find out. But, while I was busy dealing with this onslaught of information, he was gone, like a ghost. I couldn't have been imagining things, right? Either that was a lot of information or that boy is incredibly fast, despite the fact that he's a low class Demon.

_Damn, I have to go to work, but it's within my grasp…I've been stuck in this place for ten miserable years with hardly any memories returned to me, and now __**work**__, of all things, is holding me back!? Damn the universe to hell! I want to find the pieces I'm missing! I know there is something important that I've lost, but what is it exactly…?_

In truth, I know for a fact I went through the reincarnation process. Demons are reincarnated after they are killed, but only if the body stays intact. I hope whoever killed me got what he deserved for putting me through all this. After we're reborn, we lose the majority of our memories, and it takes time for them to come back.

So far, I've gotten a few snippets back of my life as a human, hence why I decided to re-name myself with my old human name. I couldn't remember the name my last master gave to me. It sort of fits, since my original hair color came back.

Other than that, I also have the last few minutes of my death. It wasn't very pleasant, the face of my murderer and torturer permanently engrained into my memory. And there was somebody else there with me when I died, but the vision was too blurry. I couldn't make out the face. It's understandable, considering I was barely conscious. Demons find sleep as a luxury, but not for ones that were created, like me. When we are injured to a certain extent, we require sleep to aid us in healing.

I threw my hands up in exasperation as I headed to my venue for the night. I could go find that boy anytime I like. It's not like I'm rushed to find a Demon or anything. We have all the time in the world.

…..

"Rosalina…Rose? Come on, the opening act is about to start, get it together!"

"Sorry, I apologize. I was just thinking about something." I shook my head vigorously. Did this really have to come up right before work? _Come on; use that old Demon focus of yours! This matter can be pushed aside for now. Work now, then pay rent, THEN find Demon child, happy future for Rose. All right, let's do this._

One by one, performers came and went, until it was my turn. Now, at this venue, which was a hotspot for the younger generation of Demons to party like a bunch of teenage mortal hooligans at a rock concert, I'm kind of popular. So, obviously I got plenty of cheers when I ran out onto the stage and started singing "Get Out Alive" by Three Days Grace.

I've always loved my voice, but never always singing in front of people. I got over that shyness really quick when I realized I'm pretty good at it. I know some people in the past must have heard it and loved it to give me enough confidence to pursue singing as a career. I only tried it out once, and it just felt right, and a little voice in the back of my head told me to do it. So, I went for it. I let all my problems go as I "rocked out" on stage, as the humans like to say. The stage is an addicting place to be. For a moment, you lose yourself for just that little bit of time. It's like the calm before you have to face the storm.

…..

All the way in the back of the concert hall, a highly unusual pair of men were standing and watching the show. Well, make that one man and one child that acted like he was older and superior than everyone else in the building. Both pairs of red eyes were staring intently at the stage, watching the last singer perform.

"I hope you are completely sure that it is her, Sebastian."

"Of course I am, My Lord. The resemblance is uncanny…and she still wears her hair the way I liked it. But, for what reason she is in a place like this, I cannot fathom…where did you say you saw her again?"

"She was walking, apparently to come here and perform. It is quite a coincidence that I just so happen to be visiting the manager to check on my establishment, is it not?"

"I thank you kindly for informing me that you found her, Young Master. It is a relief, to find her safe…"

"Why wouldn't she be safe? Did you not destroy James's body after you defeated him?"

"…I failed to take care of that little problem when I had the chance."

"…So you didn't do it."

"…A mistake that I regret to this day. Not only do I worry about his return, but her mentor also betrayed her. There is a good chance she might come back to finish the job."

"Your grieving is going to cause us quite a few problems. I can already feel the headache coming on."

"My apologies, Young Master. I shall correct my mistake as soon as possible."

"So…how are you going to handle this…? You must confront her sooner or later, Sebastian."

"Master, after rebirth, it takes quite a long time for memories to be recovered. I'm fairly certain she knows very little. According to my knowledge of Demons, it takes close to a century for us to be reborn. She can't have been back from the land of the dead for more than a decade. Whatever she remembers, it will only be small glimpses. She'll hardly know anything. I will…I will have to be patient, a little longer, until the time is right..."

…..

After the show, I was standing backstage, talking to the manager of the establishment. He had been very pleased with my performance, once again, and was going to schedule me for another appearance sometime next week, when we were interrupted. Remember the boy I was talking about earlier? He just so happened to be strolling up to us with a stoic look on his face.

"Ah, if it isn't Earl Phantomhive! I was expecting you."

Earl? Usually that title is given to Englishmen. He must be from England. That name and title together definitely sound familiar. He was observing the pair of us, but mostly me for some reason. That confirmed my suspicions that this kid definitely knows me in some way. But, he chose to play coy, for now.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Schmitt. And who might this be…?"

"Let me introduce one of our most popular performers, Miss Rose. Rose, this is Earl Ciel Phantomhive. His company owns this venue."

"Ah, well then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Earl." I had the sudden urge to curtsy, but this skirt was not appropriate for such a thing, so I bowed instead. Didn't stop me for almost trying to grab my skirt though. It had to be a muscle memory sort of thing. Now that would raise a few eyebrows. The manager did stare at me weirdly for a sec, but the Earl just acted normal, as if I'd done something that was expected of me.

"So, are you ready for your annual inspection? I know it must have been a long trip to visit all the way from England, and you'll want to enjoy Tokyo as much as possible before you return."

"Yes, I am ready. Shall we get started?"

"If you'll excuse us, my dear. I'll call you later to schedule your next performance."

"Yes, sir." I watched the pair walk off, and I'm sure I saw the boy give me a glance before he started a discussion with the manager. I turned to head to the dressing room and fix myself up before I left, all the while thinking about the Earl. _I know for a fact he knows me, but why is he pretending not to…? Maybe…maybe he's not sure it's me. I do remember my hair changed color for a while. With such a drastic change, that would explain the pause to confirm who I am…well, if he owns the concert hall, that must mean I'm likely to bump into him again. Let's just hope I don't have to wait for his "annual inspection" to see him again._

My mind was occupied as I walked in the darkness, but I wasn't exactly headed for home. I was just walking endlessly as the moon's light stalked my footsteps. Tokyo wasn't exactly quiet and ideal for thinking, especially at night, but I needed a moment to process the day's events. So much had happened; it was a lot to take in.

I stopped. Someone or something was following me. I could hear the small footsteps coming closer. One sniff told me that whatever this thing was, it wasn't normal. The odd thing was, if this thing was indeed following me, it wasn't trying to sneak up on me. It knew that I knew about its presence. I turned around to face the creature, and almost burst into tears as I realized what…I mean, who, I was looking at.

The instant I saw her, I remembered the small black cat with the strange red eyes sitting on the sidewalk and staring at me intently. How could I forget the only companion that stayed with me since the first day we met? Everyone else came and went as old age took them, but not my little Nightmare with the cocky attitude. My faithful side-kick seemed to be watching and waiting for some type of reaction.

"Shadow, it's so good to see you!" I nearly scraped my knees as I scrambled over and scooped the small black cat into my arms in a very unlady-like fashion. She purred and nuzzled my face, which from all the years I knew her, meant that she was just telling me how much she missed me too. It had been a century after all since we had last laid eyes on each other.

"Where in the hell have you been!? Come on, let's go home." I was not letting her out of my sight again, not after I'd just re-united with my partner-in-crime. We had a lot of catching up to do. Though, a question was still nagging at me.

"Hey, Shadow? How did you find me? Even better yet, how did you get here? I'm pretty sure last thing I remember, I didn't die anywhere near Japan." The jet-black feline just turned her head to one of the alleyways that I had passed, but there was nobody there. I thought I saw something move in the darkness, but it must have just been my imagination, because when I went to check, there was nobody there.

Anyway, I had my buddy back, so I guess it didn't matter. I'd find out where she'd been eventually, even though she couldn't verbally tell me herself.


	2. His Cat, Danger Magnet

Chapter 2: His Cat, Danger Magnet

Shadow hardly left my side the entire night while I was in my apartment, taking care of any chores that needed to be finished before I could take a few minutes to myself to think when the dawn broke through the darkness of the living room as sunlight glimmered beautifully through the glass patio door.

I stroked the feline's fur as I sat on the couch, staring into empty space. The cat's sudden appearance had to have been connected to seeing the boy I remembered yesterday. How did the two events connect? Maybe…maybe he was the person that was at my side when I died? I highly doubt it. That person was a lot older than the Earl.

"Do you know somebody named Ciel Phantomhive, Shadow? Sorry, I'm still trying to piece this all together…"

The cat looked up to me with her dazzling eyes of red and nodded in agreement, her tail swishing lazily as she seemed to give me an amused look. She was enjoying this, watching me have to remember everything in small doses.

"Can't you give me any more hints? All I can remember…I know I left you with somebody. I didn't want to leave you by yourself until I was reborn. Was it Ciel?"

She shook her head. From the feeling I was getting from her, I was close, though.

"Wait…I thought I saw someone in the alleyway when we ran into each other yesterday. Was that the person?"

A nod. So it was no coincidence that she found me.

"This would go so much easier if you could just tell me who it is."

Shadow smirked at me, as if to say _"Now where's the fun in that?"_

"You're hopeless. Anyway, I have another gig today. I'm not sure if they'll let you come with me…"

The black fuzz ball in my lap gave me a stern look, almost challenging anyone that would try to stop her from following me to work.

"All right, you can come with, just please don't get me in trouble. I need this job to keep the damn apartment." She slid off my lap gracefully as I stood. "Well, what would you like to do in the meantime? I finished all of the chores last night." Damn it, there's nothing here to keep me busy. Sometimes having TOO much time on your hands can be annoying.

Shadow pointed her tail to the door. Clearly, she wanted to go out today, but for what reason? I just gave her a pat on the head and went to the front closet by the door to retrieve my black boots. Hopefully I looked decent enough to go out. I'd changed into a more comfortable pair of jeans and a dark red polo shirt. Even though I was raised to, and still enjoy, wearing skirts and dressing like a lady, the feel of pants is much more comfortable for me.

"Where to? We'll go anywhere you want to go." I didn't have to ask her twice. As soon as I opened the front door, she jogged out and took the lead. I couldn't hold back a chuckle as I followed the silly cat. It was good to have her back, even though sometimes she can be a little diva.

…..

"Do you mind explaining to me why we're at Shibuya Station…?" I find it funny that we're in front of the station with the _Hachikō _statue. Why did she want us to come here, a famous DOG statue, of all places? This place is a favorite meeting spot…wait, does she want us to meet someone here!?

She seemed to ignore my questioning as she pawed her way through the many pairs of feet, ignoring any onlookers finding the un-collared cat strange.She was headed towards one of the benches, where I just noticed a familiar face, sitting down and reading the morning newspaper. Who reads the newspaper anymore when you can watch it from your television, have it texted to your phone, or look it up on the internet? It's just a habit that Demons tend to act as they usually did in their time period. Who knows how old this guy is.

Ciel Phantomhive looked up from the gray paper as Shadow sat right in front of him and meowed once. The child rolled his eyes at the feline and sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you, you are not allowed to sit in my lap? Stop asking." How did he know about how she asks to sit in someone's lap? He definitely knows my cat.

As I approached, he turned his attention towards me. "Fancy seeing you here, Rose."

"There is no need to play coy anymore, Mr. Phantomhive."

"He was right, you have forgotten quite a bit. It's Lord Phantomhive to you." He tilted his head to the side and gave me an amused smirk. "You've changed a bit. Your hair wasn't so…dark."

"Of course I'm different, I don't know who the hell I am. I'll be back to normal if you start telling me a few things about myself."

"I'm tempted to, but he wanted to talk to you first."

"And who exactly is this "he" that you keep referring to?"

"So you don't even remember him…he'll be quite upset about that…"

"Let's save the games for later, Lord Phantomhive. Who on Earth are you talking about?"

"He'll talk to you when he's ready. Honestly, the idiot…" The young lord let out an impatient sigh as he went back to his paper. "Waits a century to find you again, and then he gets cold feet. It's not like him to be shy." He seemed quite amused as he muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the page in front of him with disinterest. "But, this is the most cheerful he's been in a few decades. He's bound to regain his courage sooner or later."

The blasted boy is just leaving me with more questions. I wanted them answered so badly, but he clearly wasn't going to give me any answers. With a sigh, I sat down next to him, and Shadow climbed up on the bench beside me.

"I know you. I saw you yesterday, on the sidewalk. I don't remember very much, but I know who you are…or at least who you used to be. What happened to you, if I may ask?" I gave him a questioning glance. Things were starting to come back the more I talked to him, and I mentally slapped myself for not referring to him by his proper title earlier. It was highly impolite of me to talk to him that way.

He contemplated his words for a moment, before he folded the newspaper properly and set it down next to him. "It was a complicated situation. I didn't become what I am by choice."

"Exactly whose choice was it?"

A laugh escaped his lips, but one of self-mocking. "A foolish boy, who wished for revenge for his betrayed heart." I almost looked at him with pity, but he'd probably slap me if I did that. He…he's not one for pity. He takes what's thrown at him and he comes back stronger, if my shady memory serves right. But, I understand what it's like. I also became a Demon not of my own free will.

"The worst things in life never happen by our choice." I sighed and glanced down at my feet. "Crying over spilled milk won't change anything, though."

"I agree." For a second, he placed one of his hands over his eye patch, before he regained his usual self and smirked at me. "I never thought I'd see you here, singing just to pay rent."

"Now how did you find that out?"

"You should know I have **plenty** of resources." His heavily-accented British voice emphasized it clearly.

"I only just recalled." I resisted the urge to glower at him as I brushed my bangs out of my face. "So, what happens now?"

"I still have work to do. He'll come see you before we have to go back to England." He stood and tucked the newspaper under his arm. "So, I suppose I'll be seeing you sometime soon. It's time for you to get to your own job."

"Point taken. I guess I shall see you later, Earl." He went his own way, and I went mine, back towards my apartment. Shadow followed by my side, a sly grin stretched across her face. She'd planned this trip to meet him all along. Hopefully, I'd get to meet this mysterious man soon.

_This man…is he the one that I can't place a face to? I know almost nothing of him. His face is blurred, I can't hear his voice over the roar of the rain…this is so frustrating! _I let out a low growl as I crossed my arms over my chest.

_Whoever this coward is, I'm going to have a few choice words for him when we meet, face-to-face. I need to know who this guy is. I need something, ANYTHING to go on. I'm tired of just having flashes of my human life and the few contracts that I don't give a damn about. The last few years of my life were completely erased until Ciel showed up. These are the memories I desperately want back. They are the most important._

…..

Another successful night of performing, and another paycheck headed to my mailbox. I turned to the black cat at my side as we walked out of the venue, me still wearing my costume.

"So, did you like the show?"

She nodded her approval, purring slightly.

"Yeah, it gets a little rough sometimes, but I like it. It's really the only talent I have, besides being an excellent servant." I chuckled to myself as I brushed my bangs out of my face. "I'm glad they didn't say anything about you being there. But, you are pretty scary, even in that form."

A cocky look appeared on her face as she held her head a little higher. Proud as a lion, that girl.

…Something's not right. Somebody's watching me. I can feel it in the air. If I actually was a cat, and not a Cat Demon, my fur would be standing on end. The hair on the back of my neck would have to suffice for now.

I slid into one of the nearby alleys, accepting whatever challenge was going to come at me. Shadow followed behind closely, her fur bristled and her claws extended in a display of warning. She hissed violently as my stalkers appeared out of nowhere. One I knew very well. The other, I had hazy memories of him, but I definitely knew him from the last few seconds of my life. The last one, well, he was a new face.

The first was obviously my backstabbing mentor, Shiyonin. The extravagant woman with vampire-pale skin, blood-red eyes and lips, and silky black hair bundled up in a fancy Asian bun with onyx chopsticks holding it all together. Instead of her usual kimono, she was wearing an elegant evening gown with a slit in the long, thin skirt, revealing her thin, sexy legs. She hid her amused smirk behind a lacy black fan, but I knew what she was thinking. She thought she had me cornered.

My next stalker was Mr. James Bone, the man that murdered me in my past life. I didn't remember what happened to him after our fight, but he hadn't changed a bit. This man took white to a whole new level. His head of shocking white hair contrasted with his white business suit. The only color this man had on him was his Demon eyes and his tanned skin.

Now the final guy was a stranger, as I said before. He seemed familiar in a way, but I don't know where I got that idea. He didn't jog any memories. He was a tall, thin, and pale man, like most Demon men, and dark hair surrounded his face. He was wearing a black business suit, unlike James, and the square spectacles he wore made him seem the most intelligent out of the three of these Demons. He probably was, too. He's definitely a high class Demon from what I'm sensing, even more powerful than James or Shiyonin.

"I know the backstabber and the murderer, but you sir, are somebody I don't know." I glanced to all three of them and crossed my arms over my chest. I am seriously in some deep shit now. Three Demons against one? Now this just isn't fair. My damned mentor couldn't face me in open combat? How pathetic. She smears the name of us higher class Demons by acting like a coward. She's already stronger than me, as my mentor, but she has to drag two more people into our fight?

Shiyonin giggled. "I'm glad you still remember me after a century of napping."

James wasn't joining in on our playful mood. "Let's just dispose of this trash. I have a score to settle with her little friend. I want payback!"

"You can wait, James. You've only been waiting a decade for your revenge. It's your own fault for taking him on by yourself. Your death was caused by your own stupidity." She snapped her fan shut, and a deadly serious look was now upon her face. "You will have what you desire. There is no need to be so hasty."

"Lady Shiyonin speaks the truth, James. Good things come to those who wait." The low voice of the stranger came from his position behind me. "Well, seeing as we are going to kill you, I must introduce myself. Forgive my rudeness miss. I am Claude Faustus."

"Well, then, I know the name of all the Demons I have to kill." Too bad I don't have a weapon. That highly decreases my chances of getting out here with all of my limbs intact. At least Shadow was here to back me up. Maybe we could make a run for it.

I scooped the cat up quickly and glared at all of them as they took a step toward me in unison. "I'd love to stay here and play games with you all, but I have things I must do. Busy schedule, I hope you can understand." I threw Shadow out of the alley, just as the two boys made their move. They weren't going to let me go so easily.

"Shadow, get out of here now!" I had to at least get her away from this fight. No way was I going to lose her to these punks. Quick as a flash of lightning, I leapt up high into the air and landed on one of the top floors of a nearby fire escape. I used this to move to the rooftops and away from my pursuers as the boys chased me and Shiyonin vanished through a portal, waving goodbye to me as she left. Well, she at least improved my chances by a third, unless she was trying to flank me.

Both of them were fast, Claude being faster than James obviously, but they were no match for my speed. With hope of my survival increasing by the second, I dropped off of one of the roofs and slipped into another alley.

Suddenly, a sharp object came flying out of nowhere and scratched my left cheek. A piece of…gold silverware…was stuck into the wall. _That's oddly familiar…_No time to think about it now, James was pulling a gun on me. A weapon like that wouldn't do much damage, but it would stun me for a few seconds, time that I needed to get the hell out of here. I had to climb over a fence as gunshots rang out in the alley. Blast that stupid dog!

To make matters worse, Shiyonin popped up on the other side of the alley through one of her portals and cornered me again, throwing her silver feather-shaped daggers at me. I managed to avoid most of them, but a few stuck themselves stubbornly into my skin. I pried them out and threw them to the ground in a frustrated manner as the three closed in on me.

"Like a rat in a trap. You're mine, you little brat." All of them were like toxic cobras, poised to strike, but a deep voice ringing out in the darkness made them all stop, either shock or utter horror etched across their faces.

"If I'm not mistaken, the last time I checked, she was a cat, not a filthy rat. Hmm, three Demons against one. Now that hardly seems fair. Didn't your mothers ever teach you to never hit a lady?" The voice was melodic, warm, and…familiar.

**BAM!** Out of nowhere, a streak of black attacked Claude. Shiyonin shrieked in fear as she vanished into one of her portals, and James was frozen in terror at the figure using silverware to try to make it past Claude's block with his goldware.

"Hurry it up. We don't have all night." The small figure of Ciel Phantomhive joined me in the alley as he addressed the newcomer to the battle. The black-haired individual had his back to me, so I couldn't see his face.

"As you wish, My Lord. Would you be so kind as to give her the knives back?"

"Hmph." Ciel seemed irritated that a request had been made of him, but he obliged the man by handing me a pair of very large wedding cake knives. Now, these, I remembered well, and I had missed them dearly. "Can't believe they caught you unarmed. That's inexcusable."

I gripped the familiar wooden handles of the Saito family cake knives and smirked at James. "This won't take but a moment. Now the tables have turned. You'll get what's coming to you for killing me. Mr. Bone."

"Hah, I'll kill you first!" He pulled his own cleavers out of his coat pockets and attacked, but I darted out of his reach before I jabbed the idiot in the stomach with the sharp point of the blade. I was going to handle James while the newcomer took on Claude.

Now that we were evenly matched, and this fight did not include a contracted human to protect, I could go toe-to-toe with this mongrel and easily wipe the floor with him. He got in a few good swings, but he was no match for my speed.

I cleverly hacked off one of his arms in one clean swipe as his cleaver nearly gave me a bald spot on the top of my head. "You're too slow, Bone."

He pulled his gun on me and fired, but I dodged the bullets as I walked forward and he walked backwards. The fear on his face was clear as I cornered him up against an alley wall.

"Who's the cornered rat now, mongrel?"

"I won't let you kill me! Now you'll die!" He swiped at me with his remaining cleaver in his left over arm, but I was quicker. I chopped his other arm off at the shoulder and pointed my other blade at his throat.

"Nice try, Bone. Better luck next time. Not like there will be a next time." Using both knives, I cut his head clean off and I watched it roll across the ground. He was definitely dead. The fool's blood spattered the entire alley. There was no way he'd heal from an injury like that. I wiped a bit of his blood off of my face with the back of my bloodied hand, but it only made it worse. A bath would be in order later on this evening.

I turned to go aid the other man in his fight, but Shiyonin returned to the battlefield and saw the horrific scene of what I had done to Mr. Bone. The anger at her lost pawn was etched into every centimeter of her face.

"You should know better than to send trash like that my way, Shiyonin. You trained me well."

"A little well for my liking. Or, perhaps, not enough, as you do not show me any respect."

"You tried to kill me. That will not earn you my respect." I charged in to attack her, but she was gone in an instant, now behind me and throwing a knife my way. I knocked it away using one of my own knives and laughed at her.

"What's wrong, angry that the fight is finally tipping a little bit my way? You're a pitiful excuse for a Demon. You fight with cowardice, unable to take your opponent head-on. There is not a drop of honor in your blood."

"Shows what you know, impure little kitten. You will never measure up to my power." Once again, she vanished in her dark portal, only to come at me from a wall to my left. She attacked with many of her knives, and I couldn't dodge them all at such a close proximity to her. I ended up with several cuts and one buried itself in my left calf. Each and every cut was starting to itch and burn terribly, so I knew she'd pulled out her knives laced with holy water.

"I'll let you live, for now. Come, Claude, we are leaving." All that talk, and she's retreating? She's a complete moron. Before I could stop her, she vanished through her portal, and another one dragged Claude into the darkness and out of the alleyway.

A sigh of weariness escaped my lips as I limped over to the remains of James. "At least this bastard's dead." With the head severed from the body, he wouldn't come back from the world of the undead, so I didn't have to worry about him anymore. I turned to Ciel and the other man, smiling at them despite the gruesome battle that just ensued here.

"Thanks for the help, if you hadn't shown up, I would have been done for, surely…" I stopped as I took in the appearance of Ciel's companion. This tall man slightly resembled Claude, but he had a more angular face, and his hair was slightly longer. He wore no glasses. The gentleman had been wearing a full suit with no tie earlier, but now his suit jacket was slung over his arm. He seemed completely unharmed from his fight with Claude.

He…I know him. This guy, he's that face I couldn't place in my last moments. This was the guy Ciel had been talking about, and who had taken care of my cat while I was gone. Everything about him was familiar to me. My last few seconds of life seemed to clear up as the realization hit me.

_"Take…take care of her…tell her…it's done…the contract…it's over…"_

_"You may tell her yourself when we return to the manor…"_

_"Can't…this is goodbye, Sebastian…"_

_"You're not going to die, Sakura…you can't possibly have been killed by them…"_

_"Promise me…you'll take care of Shadow…"_

_"Of course I will…"_

_"We'll…meet again soon, Sebastian…I promise…"_

His face had been so full of tears…I never thought that I'd see him cry like that…

"…Sebastian…?"

The gorgeous Demon butler blinked and raised his eyebrows in surprise. When it registered in his mind that I had started to remember him, I suddenly found myself with his warm arms holding me close to him, and his face buried in my neck, even though I was coated with James's blood.

"My lovely Princess…it has been too long…" He was at a complete loss for words. For a second, I thought he was going to cry again, but his face was definitely dry when he pulled back to look at my face. "You're still as beautiful as ever, maybe even more so."

"Definitely, without that silly hair color of mine."

"It does not matter to me what your hair looks like. You're beautiful, all the same." He smiled at me, a genuine warm smile, but it changed to a frown when he spotted the cut to my face. "Now where on Earth did that come from?"

"That guy, you were fighting, his name was Claude I think…?"

"How did Claude get mixed up in all of this…?" His face switched from a frown to a look of deep thought for a moment, until I caught his attention.

"We'll discuss this later, right now, we really need to get out of here…the noise is bound to attract attention eventually…" Plus, I think I'm blushing from him being so close and touching me so suddenly when I just realized who he was and where my exact feelings for him were. Being self-conscious about my bloody appearance doesn't help either.

"She's right. We can't have her bleeding all over the place." Ciel came up from behind us and sighed. "It's a good thing that blasted cat of yours came to get us before you ended up in a worse condition. Can't have you dying again and having Sebastian a moody wreck, now can we?" He smirked devilishly at his butler while the older Demon was taking in the full extent of the damage.

"I'm going to have to have a few words with Lady Shiyonin the next time we meet. Let us go. Shall I bring the car around, Young Master?"

"We're not too far from home, we can walk." He turned on his heel and left the alley, quickly joined by Shadow, who had been waiting outside the whole time.

"Let us not keep My Lord waiting." Faster than I could blink, Sebastian scooped me up in one swift move and went to follow Ciel.

My face flushed tomato red. "S-Sebastian! Put me down this instant, Michaelis!"

"Please, do not call me that, Princess. Even after a century, you're still stubborn as ever. Besides, I haven't had the pleasure to hold you in so long. Will you forgive this spoiled butler and allow me this for a little while. Please?" Damn that cute innocent face of his he always gives me when he wants something. I just can't say no to him.

"Fine, but only this once."

"Thank you, My Princess." He held me a little tighter to his chest and I flopped my head on his shoulder. Well, if he wanted to carry me that bad, I wasn't going to complain. This man had an unusual attraction to me. Whether he was just flirting like he did with many women like he did so long ago, or he sincerely meant it, I wasn't sure. I think he just likes messing with me.


	3. His Cat, Whole

Chapter 3: His Cat, Whole

I found myself in the hotel room that Sebastian was staying in. Ciel was in the room next to us. Of course, the Earl had the most expensive and luxurious suites in the entire hotel. Typical of him. I felt so out of place. It was also kind of funny that Sebastian had to sneak our bloodied selves past the security cameras.

Now I was in his bathroom, getting ready to grab a nice shower. Another knock at the door sounded, and I sighed in exasperation.

"For the last time, Sebastian, you cannot come in. I'll be fine. I have towels, I have a nightgown. Let me be!" Bloody pervert. I know he has the habit of bathing and dressing Ciel every day, but it's not socially acceptable, even in this world, for a man to be in the bathroom when a woman is bathing, unless they are a married couple. Or lovers. Sebastian and I are just…well; I suppose friends suffering from an unrequited crush would be the best way to define it.

He heard the violent undertone of my voice and walked away from the door, leaving me to my thoughts. I turned on the hot water as I stripped out of my bloody clothes. These would have to be disposed of immediately. I couldn't let the housekeepers see any of this. The whole bathroom would most likely have to be cleaned as well. At least all of my cuts had stopped bleeding and closed already. Today was just absolutely exhausting. If I could get gray hair, my whole head would be a sea of that dreary color.

Then there was Sebastian. Now, how in the hell had I managed to forget about him? That face is not exactly one you'd forget. I mean, look at him. He's…drool-worthy. No, Rose, focus; do not even start on that.

I sighed. With all of this happening, and with an incredibly sexy Demon butler on the other side of the bathroom door, I couldn't think straight. I gave up on sorting everything out for now and finished up with my shower. At least I felt better after a hot shower. I towel-dried my hair while I carefully inspected the nightgown that Sebastian insisted I wear after I asked him if I could take a shower. At least he conveniently had this with him. It was either this or his clothes, and wearing anything of his, especially if it was just one of his button-down shirts, would just be asking for trouble of the improper kind.

At least it was decent. I think it was even one of my nightgowns from way back when my last contract and I were living in the same manor as the Earl and his servants. If it was, he'd kept it in impeccable condition. I pulled the white lacy gown on and then bundled my hair up in another towel. I was almost sad I had to leave the safety of the bathroom, and then I came out to see a shirtless Sebastian, half-dressed for bed, with his pajama top in hand.

He gave me a playful smirk as my face turned beet red. "Would you prefer I wear my shirt, or leave it off?"

I scowled at him as I turned around. I mean, I've already seen him topless before, but seriously, it's not appropriate. "J-Just put your shirt on, Sebastian!"

"As you wish, My Princess." I heard the rustle of clothes as I groaned.

"Must you call me that?"

"I'm unsure of how to refer to you at the moment besides that. Should I call you by the name Lady Amaya gave you, or the name you are using now?"

"Ciel told you about that, then."

"Yes, he did. I find both names fitting, so whichever you prefer."

"I'd prefer Rose. I…I don't want to think about my last contract right now." Thinking about Lady Amaya, how I'd died and left her alone, it made me sad. She got to keep her life, and I finished the contract, but I wasn't worried about that. I never had the chance to say goodbye to her.

A hand on my arm made me turn around, and Sebastian was giving me a look of pity. "You finished your contract. Don't be upset at yourself that you did not reap the reward."

"That is not it at all! I just…" I wished our time together hadn't ended so soon. She was my favorite contract.

"If it makes you feel any better, she was not angry at you. She was quite depressed for some time after you…" He let his voice trail off. "But, she moved on with her life. I heard she ended up a married woman and had many children."

"Well, I'm glad she was happy." I gave Sebastian a pleasant smile as I sat down in a chair and pulled the towel off of my head. A shame I didn't have a brush. I used my fingers to comb it the best I could, but that would not be a very good substitute.

Sebastian read my mind. He had a brush in hand, and he was ready to pull off the innocent face if he had to. "May I? I miss doing your hair…"

"Fine…" I'd humor him again. Just this once.

"Thank you." He immediately set to work on doing my hair while we continued our talk.

"How do you know that Claude guy? Ciel didn't seem too happy to see him, either."

"We have history with Faustus. It's partially his fault that Ciel is now one of us, and I am to be his servant for eternity, as well as his mentor, since the Demon that made him died almost immediately after he was reborn. I thought after I defeated him, that was the last I'd seen of him. Apparently his body was not destroyed, as I thought."

"That's not so bad. Ciel's not a bad kid. A little rude to his servants sometimes and he acts like a spoiled child, but he's not terrible. At least he's well behaved, and he's a clever boy." I almost wished that Amaya had become a Demon along with him, but I wouldn't wish this life on anyone, even for my own selfish wishes. "Thanks for taking care of Shadow, by the way. Was that you in the alley?"

"I didn't think you would see me…"

"Sebastian, my night vision could spot a crow against a black backdrop in the middle of the night. I'm pretty sure I saw you." I laughed lightly at him. Besides when Shadow returned, when was the last time I laughed? This felt so comfortable, so right. I could sit like this with him forever, talking about things endlessly.

"Are you going to bed tonight?"

"I might, I'm sore all over. Are you?"

"Not sure yet. My apologies for not coming to you sooner when I found out that Lady Shiyonin was in town. I should have known that she would try something such as this."

"Do not blame yourself, Sebastian. That also goes for back then, too. I don't want you thinking I died because you weren't there. You couldn't have known I would have gotten myself into trouble again when I went out on my own. I should have been more careful, it's my own fault."

"Whosever fault it is, I'll make sure it does not happen again." He came around from behind the chair and crouched so we were at eye level. "It was a very lonely century without you, Rose…please do not be so reckless this time around, My Princess." I think this is the deepest blush I've ever done. My black heart was pounding heavily in my chest. Did he really just say that? I'm such a sucker for the romantic types like him!

He stole a quick kiss on my cheek and smiled. "I love seeing that adorable blush of yours." Then he stood. "I've finished with your hair." I glanced over at a nearby mirror and smiled, seeing the usual hairdo he liked to see me in.

"I thought I lost that ribbon…" I distinctly remembered this ribbon being on my corpse when I died. It was a gift from a friend back in my human life. I thought it was lost forever, so I'd replaced it with a different one, but it still wasn't the same. Apparently, he'd taken good care of it, like everything else of mine while I was gone. My hair looked just as nice as the last time Sebastian styled it with this very same ribbon.

"I knew there was a reason I liked wearing my hair like this for special occasions…" With every second I spent around Sebastian, many little things he did gave me flashes of my old life back. Somehow, he was the last piece of the puzzle to getting back the last few years of memories that were gone.

"Because I told you that you look beautiful in it?"

"It keeps my hair out of my face when I'm performing." I teased him right back and stuck my tongue out at him childishly. "So, are you going to sleep or not? If you are, I'll grab the couch."

"Certainly not. It would not be gentlemanly of me to let you sleep there, especially after the day you've had."

"But I don't want you to take the couch…"

"We could sleep on the bed together. It's a king size, we will both be able to fit."

"No. There is no way we are doing that."

"I shall sleep on the couch then." I was going to protest, but he was already headed for the couch. I had two options: either let him sleep on the couch or let him sleep on the bed with me. I decided on the first one with no hesitation and climbed into the enormous and VERY comfy king size bed. Man, I was going to get a great night's sleep with this bed. Thank you, Ciel, and your awesome taste for luxury. I missed living large, even if I was living large as a servant in a mansion.

…..

The loud sound of purring in my ear woke me up from a peaceful slumber. My faithful fuzzy companion was nuzzling my face, trying to get me out of bed.

"All right, I'm up, sheesh…" I sat up and rubbed my eyes sleepily before I ran a hand through the thick forest of bedhead I was sporting. My hair ribbon had come loose and the long black locks had gotten all tangled up while I was sleeping.

I pulled the covers off and hopped out of bed, heading over to the dresser to grab the brush from the night before and fix the mess that had become of my hair. I raked the brush through the mess while I glanced over at the figure that was still sleeping on the couch.

Okay, I have to admit, Sebastian sleeping on the couch, half-dressed, his hair tousled…it's pretty damn cute. He looked peaceful, for once in his extremely long life-span. I giggled at him as I finished brushing my hair and pulled it back into a low ponytail. I might as well wake him up before Ciel gets up, too.

"Time to get up, Michaelis. We can't sleep the day away, now can we?" I gave his face a gentle poke and he rolled over so his back was to me. Boy, he didn't want to get up this morning. I sighed at him and shook my head, pulling his pillow out from under his head.

"Sebastian, wake up." I whacked him on the head with the pillow, and he rolled over, opening one eye sleepily while he rubbed the other with his hand. He's just too cute in the morning when he's half awake. I couldn't help but giggle at him again as I poked him on the nose.

"Come on, sleepyhead." I held my hand out to him to help him up off of the couch, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me on top of him, snuggling me like a pillow or something.

"Wouldn't you rather stay here with me?" He gave me a smirk, but I could tell he was just playfully teasing me. He doesn't exactly have his guard up from my emotion-sensing ability early in the morning.

"You and I both know that Ciel won't tolerate it if you're late in getting him up and dressing him."

He sighed and nodded sadly. "You do have an excellent point." He stole a quick kiss from my cheek and sat up while I climbed off of him and the couch. "I shall get dressed and go wake the master while you prepare for the morning." He went into the bathroom to get dressed while I sat on the couch.

"Well, I didn't exactly bring any spare clothes with me…I wasn't planning on having a sleepover with you when I went to work." He emerged from the bathroom, dressed again in a business suit, with a sly smile on his face.

"Do not worry; I took the liberty of bringing some of your clothes over last night when you were sleeping."

"Always thinking ahead, aren't you?"

"If I didn't think ahead by at least that much, what kind of Phantomhive butler would I be?" He gave me another smile and a peck on the cheek. "Your clothes are already in the bathroom."

"Thank you, Sebastian." I went into the bathroom to go change while he left to go wake Ciel in the other hotel room. Even after a century, it seems that Demon hasn't changed a bit. I came out of the bathroom, wearing a red tee, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black jacket. Sebastian was still in the other room, so I sat on the couch and waited for him with Shadow, stroking the feline's beautiful fur.

After a few minutes, the two boys came into the room. Ciel was dressed again in a business suit, like Sebastian. These two really don't know the meaning of the word "casual wear" at all. They sat on the couch across from me, and Ciel seemed to be deep in thought.

"Now, why in hell is Claude after you as well…?"

"I suppose Shiyonin roped him into helping. You know how she is: a total coward. She prefers everyone to do the work for her." I rolled my eyes and leaned back into the leather couch, sighing. "Sebastian told me you've had problems with him in the past, right? She probably told him everything and now he's helping her to get payback. What a wonderful situation we've all ended up in."

Sebastian smirked. "Well, if he's trying to kill you, that just means I won't be letting you out of my sight anytime soon."

Ciel sighed. "Sebastian, we have to go back to England soon. Are you suggesting we stay here until Claude is taken care of?"

"Of course not, My Lord. I'm suggesting we take her home with us."

I glanced between the two of them, raising an eyebrow. It's not like I disliked the idea of returning to the Phantomhive Manor, but I don't exactly need to be looked after. "I'm not some child that needs to be watched constantly."

The butler gave me a dark look. "I won't have a repeat of a century ago, Rose. You have my word on that." From what I was feeling from him, he was dead serious, and if anybody tried to stop him, he'd most likely rip their heads off. "Now, do we have any objections?" He switched quickly from that evil look to his cheerful smile that always hid his sinister thoughts well.

Ciel sighed. "I don't particularly care. If it'll stop your moping around the manor, then by all means, bring her with us."

"If I'm going, don't expect me to lie around all day. I'll be doing housework. With a manor that size, you hardly ever have enough servants to keep it spotless."

"All of our current servants are human and absolutely clueless to their jobs, but at least they're not as bad as those three." He was referring to the last group of human servants he had to take care of his manor, not including Tanaka. "They're not even allowed to step foot in my room. Only Sebastian is."

"Currently I serve as the young Master's assistant, but I still keep up with my butler duties. None of those humans know how to make a proper pie." I do remember that Ciel won't eat any sweets unless Sebastian makes them, because he actually makes them right.

"Well, at least it'll be easier on you when I come to help. The only problem is explaining my presence to the rest of your staff…how is it you can even stay in the manor anyway under your current name? You're supposed to be dead by this time."

"I thought ahead. I left the manor and returned not so long later after Sebastian spread news of my "death" and things cooled down. I constantly change the staff around so nobody suspects a thing about my lack of aging. Most of my business partners are Demons themselves, and for those who are not, I hardly ever see them in person. Children as CEOs nowadays are unheard of in the human world."

"That they are. Well, I hope your genius brain can think up some excuse for me to be in your manor. I've had enough of scandalous rumors to last me an eternity." I pointedly glared at Sebastian at that moment. Yeah, I definitely had not forgotten about that.

"I'll tell them you're being hired as another assistant, like Sebastian."

"Well, at least I have some knowledge of how business works, thanks to Lady Amaya. I guess I'll be heading back to my apartment to pack, and I need to inform my landlord…at least Shadow will be happy for the move. She doesn't exactly like my house, and she adores Sebastian anyway. I just hope Pluto won't be trying to eat her again…"

"Pluto won't be a problem. He passed away a few years after you did." Ciel stood and glanced at Sebastian. "I suppose this settles our problems, for now. We leave for London the day after tomorrow."


End file.
